McAfee predicts rapid evolution of cyberthreats in 2013.

If you thought Windows 8 would provide refuge from an increasingly malware infested web, think again. Security firm McAfee has just released its annual Threat Predictions report in which it highlights the top threats it foresees for the coming year, and like it or not, Windows 8 is going to be a major target. Despite improved security in Windows 8, McAfee believes targeted malware will be available faster than it was for Windows 7.

The most popular and talked-about MaxPC articles from the past year.

2012 was a crazy year for tech news. Along the way, we like to think we've been able to provide cutting-edge and relevant articles and features. Join us as we reflect on the top 12 biggest Maximum PC articles of 2012.

Note: The articles were chosen based a number of criteria: traffic, discussion, and editorial discretion. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments below!

Windows 8 previews to expire in about three weeks’ time

The world may not have ended last week, as many doomsayers had feared (or hoped), but the continuing existence of our planet means that the various preview builds of Windows 8 will all expire next month.

The majority of Windows 8 tablets won't start shipping until 2013.

Wondering where all the Windows 8 tablets that were supposed to ship before the end of the year are hiding? It seems they've all been bitten by a driver bug, or at least the ones built around Intel's Atom Z2760 processor. The "Clover Trail" part is an energy efficient CPU that promises all-day battery life, but it's reportedly been challenging trying to code drivers that are stable enough to pass Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) testing.

Dell had reservations about Microsoft using Windows branding for its ARM-friendly tablet OS

At last week’s Dell World conference, the Texas-based PC manufacturer announced its decision to abandon the development of Android smartphones and tablets. As a result, Windows 8 tablets are going to be the sole focus of its mobile strategy from now on. This is despite the fact that Dell has always had reservations about a key part of Microsoft’s new horses-for-courses OS strategy: the OS naming scheme.

Lack of consumer interest is keeping Google from building Windows 8 and WP8 apps.

It probably does not matter a great deal to those hell bent on avoiding Windows 8 like the plague, but for those who have jumped on the Windows 8 bandwagon with alacrity, the lack of triple-A apps on the platform must be worrying. If you happen to be a Windows 8 early adopter waiting for things to improve, you are unlikely to find recent comments by Google’s Clay Bavor very comforting.

The Internet is a tough place to try and keep a secret, so why bother? Evidently we're not the only ones that feel that way. After rumors, uh, surfaced that Surface RT would show up in third-party retail stores, Best Buy reached out to Maximum PC to confirm that it plans on selling the Windows RT-based tablet online starting December 12, 2012, and in select retail and Mobile specialty stores nationwide beginning Sunday, December 16.

Microsoft is said to be expanding the sale of its Surface tablet beyond its own outlets.

While analysts seldom see eye to eye, the diversity of opinions that the Surface RT has managed to inspire among them is fairly remarkable. If you ask IHS iSuppli, it will tell you that the Windows RT-based tablet is looking set to crack the 1 million unit sales mark in the fourth quarter. Boston’s Detwiler Fenton, on the other hand, expects Surface RT sales to be around the 500,000 mark.

One thing is clear though: the ARM-powered slate hasn’t really set the world on fire. That is something Microsoft is now trying to address, according to noted Microsoft blogger Paul Thurrott, by expanding the sale of the Surface beyond its own outlets.

New Zeus Touch all-in-one systems from CyberPower PC start at $899.

Here's a riddle for you: What is Zeus without his Thunderbolt? If you guessed an "all-in-one (AIO) PC," pat yourself on the back, and then thank a teacher, without which you may not have been able to read the headline. CyberPower PC's Zeus Touch line is the latest in an influx of touch-capable AIO systems built around Windows 8, though unlike some of the others, Zeus is "fully expandable," CyberPower PC says.